Feature Friday: Ruth Ann Wiesner of RAW Marketing.

As CEO of  RAW Marketing  Ruth Ann Wiesner is a self- proclaimed "Principal Cleaver Heaver”. This describes the no-nonsense approach that she takes with every aspect of the creation and operation of RAW Marketing.

Highlighted as one of the Top 125 Women Entrepreneurs for the Chicago area, Top Mompreneur of 2012, and recently a finalist as one of the Top 25 Awesome Mom-Based Biz in Chicago, Ruth Ann has burst onto the scene with her creative and innovative marketing techniques.

In this interview she discusses why she started her own firm, the relaunch of RawMrktg.com and more!

    

• Brea: What attracted you to PR/Marketing?

RuthAnn: I have always been intrigued by the sayings "You can't change someones perception." and "Perception is Reality". When I first began in Marketing and PR, I quickly realized that (when done correctly), through Marketing and PR, you have the power to change just about anyones perception of anything. That type of influence is very powerful, especially when most people do not realize that everything created by a Marketing/PR or Advertising agency is done to invoke a very specific perception of their client or their clients product.
 

• B: Why did you decide to open your own firm? 

R: After working at the Directorship level of Marketing (the PR Dept rolls up under Marketing in most larger businesses) for many years, my life took an exciting turn and I found myself relocating. In the process, I was approached to continue handling the Marketing for my client, but in a consulting role from afar. Within weeks of my relocation, I had acquired half a dozen more clients and decided I better make this official, and RAW Marketing was born! 

• B: In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception people have about PR/Marketing? 

R: I find the biggest misconception is that Marketing or PR is very easy to execute, when in fact, the biggest mistake you could make with your business or brand is to market it incorrectly. Think of the last bad marketing ad, social post or pitch that you've heard or read...How did that make you feel? Aggravated? Annoyed? Offended? Subconsciously you now associate those feelings with the brand or business that produced the 'bad' ads. So instead of gaining positive to neutral brand recognition, the business has actual lost ground by creating a negative perception about the brand through poorly executed marketing. 

• B:What is one essential skill you believe has helped you in PR/Marketing?  

R: Understanding personality types. I was fortunate to have great sales training through a fantastic company that I worked for, that catered to very high-end clientele. As part of our training we studied personality traits and how to relate to them in different ways, to enhance our communication skills and better understand what drives their buying tendencies. These skills help me understand each of our clients a bit better and how to communicate with them more effectively. 
 

• B: As CEO of RAW Marketing, what project are you most proud of that you've worked on and why? 

R: Wow, there have been several that I have felt personally proud of...I would say my most proud campaign was for a private Country Club in Colorado, that we were working with to re-brand after a recent ownership change. We created an annual Pro-Am golf event that required us to reach out to professional sports teams for participation and then we evolved the project to be a fundraiser for each athlete's charity of choice. With the addition of cross-promotion opportunities for local businesses and fun quirky ways for the Amateur participants to be more involved than just on the course, the event really took off with a life of it's own. It is now in it's 8th year and has raised over 4.2M for various charities.

• B: I noticed that there is an interactive blog for RAW Marketing. How has having blog helped your firm?  

R: Our blog is very unique in the fact that we do not spend a lot of time posting lengthy 'how-to's' or as we like to call them 'vanity articles' on our opinion of how certain marketing/pr tasks should be executed. Our blog is true to the original intent of blogging, to share our thoughts on what is happening around the office, in our travels, highlight our clients or to simply post unique memes that might bring a lighter moment to your day. We felt there were enough blogs out there, recycling through the same articles written by experts in this or that field and wanted to provide a place for people to get to know us and see how a blog can be used to build your online presence as well as build a community of like minded readers.
 

• B: Do you think that college is necessary for a PR/Marketing career? Can one begin a successful PR/Marketing career with merely internship experience and personality, instead? 

R: Not necessarily; If you are interested in the PR/Marketing industry and are fortunate enough to work in an entry level position during high school or as an intern after college...be a sponge, learn as much as you can. Seek to understand what each department does and how they rely on each other for the success of the firm. This hands on experience will not only prepare you for advancement but will also make you invaluable, in the eyes of the partners or your managers. Of course I can not stress enough, the fact that you need to know how to write in a way that stirs the reader and draws them into your pitch, for some this does not come naturally but can be inspired by writing courses in a higher learning atmosphere. 

• B: What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR/Marketing?  

R: You can be the most eloquent writer on the planet, but if you can not tell a compelling story that moves the reader to learn more about your pitch...your pitch is worthless. 

• B: RAWmrktg.com is getting a face lift! Is there a date set on when it will launch? 

R: We are aiming for within the next couple of weeks. What started as a simple facelift for our site, has become the subject of a case study in which we discuss the effects social networking has on the importance of having a non-ecommerce website for your business. I think it will be a real eye-opener for many who believe you MUST have a website or that there is a set in stone way to run your site to generate blog followers or newsletter sign ups.
 

• B:What song best describes your life right now and why? 

R: Hahaha....There are so many! Right now I would say my empowerment song is "Stronger" from Britney Spears. First, coming from an artist who has had her fair share of hurdles in life, this song is about moving forward, not letting setbacks knock you down, becoming a better person through those hurdles and never give up obtaining your dreams.

• B: What is one thing you would tell an aspiring PR/Marketing professional?  

R: Hone your craft, learn as much as you can from every opportunity that presents itself. Your reputation is a sacred thing, do not risk tarnishing it by doing sloppy work or work that you do not believe in.

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